The Price He Had To Pay
by Blank Angel
Summary: He'd wanted to make one more hoop before the match ended. He didn't know that the price for that buzzer-beater would be this.


_**Ohio minna! This is a little something I just ended up writing in my exam today ~ssu! I thought I'd write it out here too since it was fresh in my mind! Hehe!..Of course I made a few changes in this! Enjoy! Pweeeaaase review and lemme know what chu think!..Demo, please don't be mean!**_

_**Date of upload: 17/5/2013**_

* * *

Kise was excited. But then again, he always was when it came to basketball. But who could blame him? It was the only place where he FELT alive: dribbling, dodging, dunking, dashing; the only place where he felt in control. Basketball was his passion, his love. Just thinking about the match with Fukuda Sogo that day got his adrenaline pumping and the blond hit the road to his school running so he and his team-mates could get some practice in the few hours they had before the match.

*20 minutes before the match* Kise was sitting in the locker-room reserved for the Kaijou team. While his team mates chatted excitedly to each other, he was uncharacteristically nervous. No, he was terrified! He'd forgotten all about the threats from the monster Haizaki, untill he received another threat-in-a-text just a few minutes ago. 'Hmm..Maybe I should tell Aominecchi'. Just as he was about to text the Touou's ace, his team captain, Kasamatsu, gave him a swift blow to the head, yelling at him to quit his "social life" for a while and to listen to the plan for ONCE. When Kise tried protesting, Kasamatsu snatched it away from him and locked it in his locker to make his point clear. Sighing, Kise decided to let it go. Haizaki wouldn't carry out his threats like he did in Middle school, right? After all, they were so much more mature now.

Just as Kasamatsu finished explaining the plan, their coach came in, letting them know it was time. All thoughts of threats fled Kise's mind as he emerged onto the court alongside his team, to the cheers of Kaijou and Fukuda Sogo's fans from the audience alike.

The first quarter went by in a falsh with Kaijou leading by 4 points. Fukuda called a time-out and Kise took a moment to scan the audience till his eyes met with midnight orbs and he saw their owner smirking at him from the first row, just to his right. Grinning, Kise waved at his best friend, who in turn nodded and gave a tiny wave back. Then the bell sounded, signally the start of the second quarter.

Haizaki seemed to have pulled his act together, and brought his team in the lead by 2 points by the end of second quarter.

Kise was dashing accross the court, intending to make the Kagami Dunk when suddenly Haizaki gave his left leg a good kick from behind, sending Kise crashing face-down on the floor. Fukuda scored. Moriyama helped a confused Kise up and led him to the bench as Kaijou called a time-out.

Kise nearly choked on the water he was drinking as an angry Aomine suddenly snapped from right behind him "That was a fowl! What the hell?! Were those refs blind?! He fu**in kicked you on purpose!" The Kaijou coach and captain were both pretty shocked too that the referees had done nothing, but Kise put in "Maybe they jus didn't see...? Er, I mean, Haizaki and I weren't the only ones on the court." Aomine narrowed his eyes at the blond with a small frown, but stayed quiet. Kise was contemplating on telling his bestie about the threats right now when the bell sounded again, signaling the end of 3rd quarter and the start of the final quarter in a few minutes.

Having stayed on the bench for the remaining 3rd quarter after he fell, Kise was burning to get back in the game and bring his team victory. And just like that, all fear and thoughts of threats slipped from his mind, AGAIN.

*A few seconds/moments before the end of the fourth quarter* Kaijou was in the lead again, by 7 points, and the Kaijou ace was flying across the court, hoping to score another basket before the final bell sounded, ending the match. ... Everything seemed to slow down, and all sound ceased to exist, save for the beating of his heart and the sound of the ball. Now Kise was off the floor, jumping. He saw the ball leave his hands, and move in a graceful arc to the hoop. Suddenly there was a sharp, searing pain through his left leg, and he was violently jerked forward.

He didn't hear the swish of the net as the ball made it in, or the buzzer that sounded as soon as the ball made it out of the net. He didn't hear the audience cheering or his team mates' joyful cries. Just the sound of Haizaki chuckling darkly as he stood above him, before he kicked the fallen-ace's injured leg twice and moved away.

...Aomine glared at the blond from his seat next to his bed. Kise didn't have to look up to know the expression on the other's face. "Damn it Kise! If only you'd told me that before, it would've made all the difference! I could've stopped him! I've told you a billion times to tell me if anyone ever, especially Haizaki, threatens you! Now it's too late, and the broken nose and 2 black-eyes I gave him can't compensate for THIS!" Unable to look up, or even say sorry, Kise just gave a weak nod before shifting so that his bangs covered his eyes.

He'd wanted to make one more hoop before the match ended. He didn't know that the price for that buzzer-beater would be his leg, and thus basketball. A single tear rolled down his cheek.


End file.
